Rachael Flatt for the US Nats Podium

[Joesitz (RIP)]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk8NU2mRhWc

Will she be on the Podium?

If yes with gold, silver or bronze.?

or is there too much forum hype to get on the podium?

Joe

 

[SeaniBu]

Hype or not, she might "stand and deliver." This young lady, you have made me a fan of Joe.:agree:

I am wondering about Flirth and Hacker though???

 

[ks777]

i don't see anything thats great about her... or is it just me? she reminds me of chynthia phanuef.

 

[Cal Girl]

She puts out strong performances consistently. I think she will be held back a little but will be on the podium in 3rd or 4th. :agree:

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

She's like 14. I don't know if the american senior judges will let her get on the podium although she can not go to Worlds. Maybe they will. They did for Kimmie two years ago but no worlds.

 

[iloveaxel]

not very impressed

Nothing special. Obviously her advantage at the moment is that she can land those jumps fairly consistently although the quality of the landings is not great. But it's possible that she could eke out a medal since all the top senior skaters just can't stand on their feet.

Bebe landed one triple in her LP at NHK, Alissa fell 3-4 times in LP at 'Cup of Russia'. If they continue to perform like this at Nationals,..

So it's possible that she'll eke out a bronze medal. But I don't see any bright future for her. Oster and Wagner are better than her.

 

[chuckm]

Rachael is a very consistent skater, which is more than can be said for Liang, Taylor, Zukowski, Czisny and even Hughes at this point. Watching the videos, I can see that she is very musical, even though she skates like the young teenager she is. She may not have Caroline Zhang's breathtaking bendyness, but Rachael does have a quality all her own.

She is very small and may be more vulnerable than Carolline to the puberty monster. At the very least, she's one to watch for the future.

 

[SeaniBu]

Liang, Taylor, Zukowski, Czisny and even Hughes

I am scratching thinking I might have missed someone, so I ask with respect. Is Taylor the only one in this list that you used the first name, or am I missing someone?

Side note. It seems that division is really strong IMO. ????

 

[Spun Silver]

Joe, you've been right about so many, but I just don't have any idea what you are excited about here. Is technical strength everything? She is quite wooden and unmusical - you'd never know she was skating to a sassy jazz score. Maybe it's just her age and she will focus on presentation later, but I'll be shocked if she makes it to the podium this year.

OTOH, the senior ladies are so problematic right now that I guess nothing should shock me....

To put it another way: maybe she can squeak onto the podium this year because the field is somewhat weak ... but next year when Zhang and perhaps Wagner are in the picture (and hopefully Alyssa and Bebe will have solved their current problems)? I doubt it.

 

[iloveaxel]

Joe, you've been right about so many, but I just don't have any idea what you are excited about here. Is technical strength everything? She is quite wooden and unmusical - you'd never know she was skating to a sassy jazz score. Maybe it's just her age and she will focus on presentation later, but I'll be shocked if she makes it to the podium this year.

OTOH, the senior ladies are so problematic right now that I guess nothing should shock me....

To put it another way: maybe she can squeak onto the podium this year because the field is somewhat weak ... but next year when Zhang and perhaps Wagner are in the picture (and hopefully Alyssa and Bebe will have solved their current problems)? I doubt it.

Although her skating does nothing for me, she does have an excellent chance to medal this year. She can usually land 6-7 triples in the LP. How many senior ladies can reliably land 4 triples these days?

Kimmie and Emily are pretty much a lock to the top two. The bronze is anyone's game.

 

[dancindiva03]

Maybe, if she lands 7 triples and no one else lands more than 4, Rachel will make the podium. Technically, she "has" the jumps but they aren't big and powerful and smooth. The rest of her skating is still raw and unpolished, and she really has no feel for her music. I see potential but I don't think she's going to medal this year. Maybe in a few years, though.

 

[SeaniBu]

For me it was the "shuttle" that RF seems to have - like a "lady". It stood out for me. Something I like first or not.

 

[Ladskater]

Rachel does not stand out as your typical US lady phenom. She seems more at an intermediate level at this point. I doubt she will make the podium this season. She needs to work on a few points: poise, polish, presentation to name a few. She does seem to have good jumping abilities, but that is not always an indicator of greatness. She is also very "plody" at the moment and needs to work on her stroking and speed across the ice. Anyway, I am sure we will see her in the future.

 

[Spun Silver]

For me it was the "shuttle" that RF seems to have - like a "lady". It stood out for me. Something I like first or not.

Shuttle? :scratch:

 

[dutchherder]

I wasn't that impressed. She still looks like she has a lot more growing to do-- not enough polish yet. I don't think she'll medal. I'll say....7th.

She may be one to look at for the future, though, if she keeps her jumps.

 

[MKFSfan]

i don't see anything thats great about her... or is it just me? she reminds me of chynthia phanuef.

She reminds me of a young Jenny Kirk, actually. I think given some more time to mature, she may be a lovely skater, but right now I think she's a bit frantic to watch on the ice.

Seanibu-Katy Taylor

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Spun Silver - I'm not on Rachel's bandwagon (yet). I threw that in more for the 'hype' thing.

She, like Caroline, is a very young skater, but she chose to skate Seniors which I think was a mistake. Yes, Caroline would easily have won over her in Juniors but so what? She should accept a lesser medal if one is given to her, and work harder the next year. The goal is the 'OGM' and that for her, imo, is sometime not in the near future and only if she proves to be among the world's top ladies.

Three things I am looking forward to at US Nats in the Senior Ladies Division is Sasha Cohen, if she skates, a decisive win for Kimmie Meissner and Rachel's debut. I'm not pushing any of that, just checking it out.

Joe

 

[Nigel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk8NU2mRhWc

Will she be on the Podium?

If yes with gold, silver or bronze.?

or is there too much forum hype to get on the podium?

Joe

Joe: This is Flatt's long program from Liberty... that was back in the middle of July....her programs were most likely very new at that point and very unpolished. I went to IceNetwork and watched her Sp and Lp from the US midwestern sectionals event. Much improved. Hard to compare Flatt's mid-July performances with those recent performances of other skaters that we have seen on YouTube from the JGPF event. No, she doesn't have the Gumby qualities of Zhang, but her jump technique is good, she is a consistent jumper, and despite her withdraw from the JGP series this fall due to the back injury, she seems to be making progress on all fronts with her recovery. Flatt, like all the other skaters, will continue to progress, mature and evolve.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Thanks for the tip, Nigel. I agree with you, and that is one of the reasons I believe she is a contender for the podium. I don't believe one can link from IceNetwork. I'll check it out now.

Joe

 

[flying camel]

She reminds me of a young Tara Lipinski. Considering she can land the jumps and the other American girls can't, I don't see how she can miss the podium. I hope she takes silver. Maybe that will shake the other girls up. I wish she was old enough for Worlds.

What about her Lutz is it okay or does she have the flutz?